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On this course you will:

• graduate with expertise in the key areas of financial reporting, management accounting, and corporate finance and with a critical awareness of how these areas contribute to a company’s strategic management;
• develop your employability skills, such as teamwork, leadership and communication skills;
• be exposed to the financial professional environment while you study at ¾«Æ·¶ÌÊÓ;
• work with real clients and professional mentors, which is a fantastic opportunity to put learning into practice and build skills that will last a lifetime; 
• benefit from a choice of three ‘capstone’ modules (Business Consultancy, Business Incubation or Dissertation), each of which is designed to build your skills, knowledge, and employability; and
• develop and nurture your confidence as well as your decision-making abilities. 

Structure and exit awards

You can opt to study for the full MSc (185 credits), a PgDip (125 credits) or a PgCert (60 credits).

You can also register as an associate student to complete a single module for CPD. On completion of a single module, you may wish to complete further modules and progress your studies to a named award.ÌýContact Dr Mo Yan for further information on single module study.

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Teaching, learning and assessment

Teaching comprises a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, case studies, field trips and projects. The 'capstone' module for the course is either a 'live' project for a client, the development of a business start-up proposal, or a master's level dissertation. Each of these options is intended to draw together elements of the taught course. The dissertation or project will be facilitated, monitored and assessed by tutors within ¾«Æ·¶ÌÊÓ and, where appropriate, by staff within the organisation in which it is undertaken.

Assessments will take a variety of forms, including essays, reports, group and individual presentations. The team at The Queen Margaret Business School has worked hard to build a range of assessments that build your skills and academic underpinning to ensure that you are well prepared for working in business.

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Teaching hours and attendanceÌý

If you are studying full time, teaching normally takes place over two or three days midweek, comprising both classroom-based learning and industry learning. You will also be required to carry out independent learning to support your formal teaching. Your specific timetable will depend on whether you are studying full time, part time or an individual module. Learning time varies across modules. Timetables are normally available approximately one month before you commence your studies.

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Class sizesÌý

There are normally around 20-30 students in a class. Sometimes, you may have lectures with additional students on other courses who are studying the same modules.

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Teaching staffÌý

You can read more about the teaching staff on this course at the bottom of this page. Please note that teaching staff is subject to change.

You will study the following modules:

• International Financial Reporting (15 credits): This module seeks to deepen and broaden your ability to prepare, analyse and critically interpret financial statements. It will enable you to explore the principles and theories of international financial reporting and analysis, and introduce you to recent critical debate on the sufficiency of conventional financial accounting practices.
• Finance for Managers (15 credits): This module develops critical understanding of essential management accounting and finance topics within a business environment, to develop high-level understanding of how financial information helps to make informed and accurate management decisions.
• Advanced Management Accounting (15 credits): This module extends the techniques of management accounting in its role in shaping short-term and long-term decision making, in analysis, planning and control. This module also places management accounting techniques within its strategic context to help you understand how you can support the strategic objectives of a business.
• Corporate Financial Management (15 credits): This module is designed to introduce key concepts and principles of modern finance and financial management and apply them to the main decisions faced by financial managers.
• Research Methods: Problems and solutions (20 credits): This module is designed to develop both your theoretical research knowledge, and your practical insights into the purpose, nature, execution, and value of research approaches and how these can be effectively utilised in the solving of problems in the context of academic knowledge creation or organisational professional practice.
• Contemporary Issues in Business and Society (15 credits): This module aims to enable you to reach a well-grounded understanding of the theory and practice of international management and relate it to events taking place at a global and national level. Utilising the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a discursive element within the module, the ways in which business can positively contribute to achieving these will be critically evaluated. This module also explores what it is to be a master’s student so that all students enrolled in the course can access this higher level of postgraduate education in an effective manner.
• Data Analytics for Management Decision-Making (15 credits): This module explores the sources of data, how that data is collected, processed, and presented, and then continues the data lifecycle by considering how this is used within informed decision-making processes within contemporary enterprises. With so much data noise, how can businesses be certain that the data they are using is reliable and valid? How can they then link that to a primary function within management and leadership, making decisions?  Using case studies, debate and in-class scenario exercises, the module will link data and action in an interesting and informed manner.
• Strategic Management (15 credits): Strategic management concerns itself with assessing what’s important, determining how to get there, and avoiding the potential pitfalls. By focusing on long-term sustainable success, it enables practitioners to avoid the noise of the day-to-day. The module incorporates strategic concepts, tools, and techniques that organisations can employ to assess their environment and resources and make strategic decisions towards long-term success. This is a mandatory module for all the Queen Margaret Business School MSc courses. Much of the knowledge and skills developed in this module are transferrable and useful in a broad range of management functions.

Progressing to an MSc?

If studying for an MSc, you will also complete a capstone module (60 credits). This takes the form of either a 12,000-word Dissertation, a Business Consultancy in Practice project, or a Business Incubation Programme.

Accounting or Finance Dissertation (60 credits): To enable students to develop, plan and critically evaluate a piece of research in the relevant degree subject-related area, written up in the form of a dissertation. This offers the opportunity to conduct a substantial academic research project around a topic of choice.

Business Consultancy in Practice (60 credits): This is a hands-on practical project where you will work with a business on a live project, determine the project parameters, manage the project, and deliver a consultancy report recommending actions the company can implement. The module aims to develop excellent project and client management skills alongside high-level writing skills that include excellent reflective abilities.

The Business Incubation Programme (60 credits): The aim of this module is to critically evaluate a range of nascent, micro and family businesses and to develop, through inception, investigation and planning, a new start-up business or social enterprise of your own design. You will work with mentors, ¾«Æ·¶ÌÊÓ’s Business Innovation Zone (BIZ) and the on-campus Business Gateway to take your business from idea to reality.

NB The modules listed are correct at time of posting (October 2024) but are subject to change. In the event that modules change, ¾«Æ·¶ÌÊÓ will seek to use reasonable endeavours to ensure that there is no detrimental impact on students.

This course is designed to enable our graduates to find employment in businesses, financial services, public sector organisations, consultancy practices and accountancy firms in a range of roles, that could include:

• Accountant
• Finance Manager or Finance Director
• Investment Analyst
• Risk Manager
• Finance Planning Analyst
• Wealth Manager

Additionally, students can Startup their own businesses during the course, with support from the University. 

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a UK honours degree or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in a related accounting/finance/business management area.

We also welcome applicants with an ordinary (non-honours) degree who can show a period of relevant post-graduation work experience in accounting and finance or additional capabilities.

International: You will be required to provide evidence of English language competence at no less than IELTS 6.5 with no individual component score less than 6.0.

Accreditation of prior learning: You may be granted exemption from studying a module or modules up to a maximum of 60 credit points, provided you can demonstrate successful achievement of all the learning outcomes.

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Other information

Fees for this course are calibrated to incorporate the CIMA registration fee, and the exam fee for the first attempt of the CIMA Management Level Case Study. You will have access to a one-year subscription of CIMA study materials for exam preparation. The fees also cover all transport and activities for practical classes or field trips. More information is available on ourÌýFees and Charges page.

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Disability/health conditions

If you have a disability, long-term physical or mental health condition, or learning disability, it should not stand in the way of your studying at ¾«Æ·¶ÌÊÓ. However, if you are not sure whether your disability might be a barrier in your studies or in relation to the professional standards, please contact the disability service where someone will be able to have a conversation with you about reasonable adjustments and supports available to you.

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Applying for this course

For more information on applying, or to apply for this course, please follow the links in the 'Start your application' box at the top right of this page.

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Application deadline

Home students: End of August for September 2025 start and December for January 2026 start.

International students: Typically end of June for September 2025 start and end of November for January 2026 start.

Please note applications may close sooner should the course become full.Ìý

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Terms and Conditions

The delivery of this course is subject to the terms and conditions set out in our 2025/26 Entry - Terms and Conditions (Postgraduate).

Contact Dr Mo Yan (Programme Leader) or contact Admissions 

We would be delighted to arrange a visit to the University when we can tell you even more about the courses and facilities.

More information on our forthcoming open events